LinkedIn is spying on you, and you agreed to nothing
Smashing Security
Graham Cluley
4.7 • 579 Ratings
🗓️ 8 April 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
LinkedIn has been secretly scanning your browser for over 6,000 installed extensions — on every single click you make. It can tell if you're job hunting, what religion you are, and whether you have ADHD. And none of this is mentioned anywhere in their privacy policy.
Meanwhile, California's crypto millionaires are learning that no amount of encryption can protect you from someone who knocks on your door pretending to deliver a pizza.
All this and more in episode 462 of the “Smashing Security” podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest Dave Bittner.
EPISODE LINKS:
- Russian government hackers broke into thousands of home routers to steal passwords - TechCrunch.
- Refusal to Give the Government Passwords to Personal Mobile Device Criminalized in Hong Kong - US Consulate in Hong Kong.
- "I didn't think millions would see this..." Russians are calling each other through a cat feeder - GUBDaily.
- BrowserGate.
- Scanned extensions database - BrowserGate.
- LinkedIn secretly scans for 6,000+ Chrome extensions, collects data - Bleeping Computer.
- Translate into LinkedIn speak - Kagi.
- Security - xkcd.
- Wealthy California crypto holders targeted in violent ‘wrench attacks’ - KTLA 5.
- Lost Doctor Who episodes to be released this week - BBC News.
- Doctor Who: The Daleks’ Master Plan - The Nightmare Begins - BBC iPlayer.
- Doctor Who: The Daleks’ Master Plan - Devil’s Planet - BBC iPlayer.
- Milton Bradley Grandmaster Robotic Chess Computer - YouTube.
- Robot Chess - One-armed gambit - Techmoan on YouTube.
- Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)
SPONSORS:
- ESET - 30 years of threat research behind unique global telemetry, AI-native technology, and human expertise working together to keep your business protected.
- Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.
- Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.
Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!
FOLLOW THE SHOW:
Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.
THANKS:
Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.
Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | So what should I say? Let's say, looking forward to this week's Smashing Security podcast. Yes. With my co-host. Co-host. Or my special guest, Dave Bittner. Stand down, Dave. Thank you. Sorry. Got ahead of myself, you know. |
| 0:33.6 | Smashing Security, episode 462. |
| 0:39.7 | LinkedIn is spying on you, and you agreed to nothing, with Graham Cluley and special guest Dave Bittner. |
| 0:44.8 | Hello, hello, and welcome to Smash Incurity Episode 462. My name is Grand Cluley. |
| 0:46.2 | And I'm Dave Bittner. |
| 0:50.7 | Dave Bittner from the Cyberwire, back on the podcast again. |
| 0:53.2 | We can't get you away from a microphone, can we? I'm like a terrible rash and difficult to get rid of. |
| 0:58.4 | Do you ever feel like, you know, I've had enough of this? It's time to hang up my spurs. |
| 1:02.8 | Well, I suppose they're not spurs, are they? Time to hang up my, my, my, my, my, |
| 1:06.9 | XLR cables. Yeah. |
| 1:10.8 | Not so much of that, but I will tell you there are times when I smash my head against |
| 1:15.5 | the desk and say, I need a vacation, I need a break, I need to get away from the bad news. |
| 1:20.3 | Yeah. |
| 1:21.5 | I mean, I find it tough doing one podcast a week, but you do about 89 a week at I do. |
| 1:27.3 | I do. I do. I have to learn how to navigate it so it |
| 1:31.5 | doesn't take too hard at all on you emotionally. But I'm, you know, I'm mostly there. But there |
| 1:37.0 | are days, Graham. There are days. Well, we certainly do appreciate you coming on the Smashing |
| 1:42.5 | Security podcast today. And before we kick off, |
| 1:45.2 | let's thank this week's wonderful sponsors, Mita, ESET, and Vanta. We'll be hearing more about them |
| 1:50.5 | later on in the podcast. This week on Smashing Security. We won't be talking about how hackers |
| 1:57.9 | working for the Russian government broke into thousands of home routers to steal passwords. |
| 2:04.6 | You'll hear no discussion of... |
... |
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